Volta Regional Hospital gets dialysis centre

inside the dialysis unit

After almost 15 years of its existence, the Volta Regional hospital in Ho has finally gotten a dialysis unit to cater for patients with kidney problems.

Kidney patients in need of dialysis services hitherto have to travel to Accra every week for the service due to the absence of that unit at the regional hospital, which is the major referral health facility in the entire region.

Dialysis machine

A dialysis machine is thought of as an artificial kidney which  filter a patient's blood to remove excess water and waste products when the kidneys are damaged, dysfunctional, or missing.

A campaign launched by the Asogli queen mothers Association to get such a machine at the hospital, had a favorable response from D.Med Healthcare AG Limited, a leading  provider of  medical equipment and consumables, which donated four dialysis machines to the hospital at a cost of GHc 200,000.

Also, indigenous oil marketing company, GOIL Energy Ghana procured a GHc 28,000 water treatment plant for the unit to enable the machines function.

Speaking at a ceremony to commission the unit,  the coordinator of Asogli queen mothers Association, 

Mama Atratoh II, the challenges kidney patients in region go through weekly to access the treatment elsewhere with its associated cost and risk prompted her outfit to embark on this initiative.

More Private Hospitals Needed

Mrs Victoria Letsa, Dr. Atsu Seake-Kwawu and Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa

The Ho Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr. Atsu Seake-Kwawu has emphasized the need for more genuine private hospitals to increase access to quality health care in Ghana.

According to him, such increase will reduce pressure on the existing inadequate government hospitals and also  create jobs for the increasing unemployed youth. He was however quick to add that such facilities should go through the required procedure before starting operations.

He noted that “when we have more recognized private health facilities it will reduce the pressure on the government ones and also increase access to quality health care.”

Dr. Seake-Kwawu made the observation recently during the 20^th Anniversary celebration of the Miracle Life Hospital (MLH), a private hospital in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital. The Hospital started as a clinic in December 1994 by Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa and his wife who was by then a nurse, Victoria Letsa.

MPs assess Ebola Preparedness at Aflao border

Regional minister (in cap) with Fritz Baffour (m) and other Cittee members

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior have paid a day’s working visit to the Aflao border in the Ketu-south Municipality of the Volta region to assess the security situation and the necessary preparations put in place to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering the country.

The border is the major transit point to Ghana’s eastern neighbours of Togo, Benin and Nigeria, which has reported cases of the disease that has plagued three other West African countries including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Briefing the Committee members on the preparations to combat the deadly virus, the Volta Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey said since news on the outbreak of the disease broke in April, the Health authorities  and other stakeholders has embark on consistent public education programmes on the disease as well as training of frontline health officials.

He disclosed that 20 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) which the region received, were distributed among the Port Health Department at the border and two hospitals out of six health facilities designated to deal with the disease. The two are the Aflao Government hospital and the Regional hospital in Ho, excluding the Jasikan, Hohoe, Sogakofe, Nkwanta hospitals because of the inadequacy of the PPEs.

201 Cholera outbreaks recorded in Volta region

Mr. Draffor with Mr. Dogbegah

The Volta region has so far recorded 201 cholera cases with five casualties as of Tuesday, August 26, Mr Mathew Drafor, Head of Disease Surveillance Unit at the Regional Health Directorate has stated.

According to him, the Ketu-South district recorded the highest number of cases, with 110 cases and two deaths, a sharp increase in 60 cases recorded on Friday, August 22. Also the Nkwanta South recorded 67 cases with three deaths, Ho-West, 12 cases, Ketu-North 10 cases and the Ho Municipality with two cases.

Mr. Draffor disclosed this on Tuesday at a public sensitization forum organised by the Ho Rotary Club in conjunction with the Royal Hospital at the Ho central market on the theme: “End Cholera Now.”

He noted that the increasing pace of the disease is getting out of hand and called for concerted efforts from stakeholders to tackle the menace.

He also urged the public to practice good personal hygiene and also be careful in handling dead persons.

Mr Richard Ahiagbede, Municipal Environmental Officer said the Assembly is fumigating some areas in the communities to halt the spread of the disease.

Ho Municipal Hospital records Zero maternal death

Mad. Ntoso presenting award to Dr. Kumi

The  Ho Municipal hospital in Volta region which was hitherto regarded as a ‘death camp’ for expectant mothers has for the first time, recorded zero maternal death in the last one year.

The facility attained this feat between June 2013 and June 2014, down from 14 deaths in 2012, and three deaths in the first half of 2013.

To this end, nine midwives and two doctors were on Tuesday honoured by the Queenmothers of Asogli traditional area for their efforts in reducing maternal mortality.

At the maiden award ceremony, the Queenmothers  honoured Dr Lawrence Kumi, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital and Dr Tamara Alvarez Ramirez from Cuba, for their ‘good leadership and dedication’ in changing the image of the Hospital.

Other awardees included Madam Innocentia Anthonio, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Maternity ward, Elizabeth Kpesese, Victoria Aggor, Elizabeth Klu, Agnes Asigbe, and four others.

The awardees were selected through the recommendations of mothers who attended the hospital in a two month radio phone-in programme.

The Queenmother of Ho-Dome and initiator of the award, Mama Attrato II disclosed that the Asogli Queenmothers two years ago planned to protest against the rate at which pregnant women were losing their lives at the facility.

She therefore described the hospital’s feat as a great achievement, worthy of celebration and commended the midwives for turning the situation around.